Last night my husband and I had one of my favorite childhood meals. Corned beef. Every year my dad would make this on St. Patrick's Day, it was a special treat. When I was an adult I realized I didn't have to wait until March 17th! I could eat it all the time. What a relief. Now, I make sure to buy beef that has been raised in a good way, and does not have added hormones or anti-biotics. Also, the veggie portion has changed a little since I was young. Now I add lots of burdock (dried or fresh) along with some dandelion root. It still has that same flavor I've always loved, but now it's just a little wilder.
Another thing I love about this meal is it's simplicity. In the morning I put the corned beef in the crock pot with all the veggies and roots. Besides burdock and dandelion root I like to put in carrots and parsnips. I cover that with water, and then turn it on high (If I want it for lunch) or low if I want it for dinner. If we have cabbage then ten minutes before serving I like to cook the cabbage in the juices of the corned beef and veggies. Any left over broth I save for stews.
As I took the picture of our meal last night I thought, well that's sure a wintry dish. And yes we are still eating roots from last fall. Hopefully soon the new growth will be on it's way and we'll be switching over to chickweed, lambquarter's, and nettle.
